CLARINETS OF CAMBRIDGE
The Tuesday lunchtime concerts at West Road got off to a rousing start with a newly formed clarinet ensemble. The weekly termtime concerts are free and thanks to the quality of musicianship on offer are very well attended. Today’s was no exception with a huge turn out by members of U3AC. They certainly would have got their money’s worth (had the gig had an entry fee) as the programme was suffused in American jazz rhythms.
The ensemble – at least 15 strong – is drawn from music and other students at the university. They play for love and the experience of having a real-life audience that is not their mums and dads. Made up of three groups of clarinets including the deep bass instrument that has to be propped up on a stand, the ensemble sound can be rich and varied – a far cry from a school wind band.
The programme was put together by 2nd year student Lola Frisby Williams who acted as conductor, player and in one case, arranger. First up was Paquito, a tribute to the clarinetist Paquito d’Rivera. Written by Andy Scott and premiered just a few years back this is a complex piece infused with the flavour of Salsa. To be honest, it was a bit challenging as a first warm-up piece and the clarinet textures sometimes sounded a little shrill and not quite on target.
Things warmed up considerably with the next four items on the musical menu. Summerland by William Grant Still (d. 1978) was arranged specially for this concert by Ms Frisby Williams. The clarinets sounded much more together and created a richly sonorous jazzy sound. Next we had some vocals to add to the musical palette: I Go On from Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. With echoes of ‘On The Town’ creating a plaintiff call and response, the ensemble brought this fine piece a richly layered sound world.
The main offering came next: New York Counterpoint by the US minimalist Steve Reich. Now reduced to a trio of clarinetists the evocative work was brilliantly accompanied by a colour film of The Big Apple – street scenes as recorded (I would guess) in the late 1940s when New York City was at it coolest. The cool harmonies of Reich’s trademark style matched the visuals perfectly. We were all in hats dodging the yellow cabs on post war 5th Avenue.
The last piece was Earth, Wind & Fire’s September. The large grouping didn’t always make a perfect aural blend but it was a gutsy performance that brought a very entertaining 50 minutes of music to a conclusion.
